ffed bear tightly against her chest, the synthetic fur pressing into her collarbone. The house w
stood on her tiptoes, her small fingers wrapping around the cold metal. She
e only light came from a low-wattag
ghly complex mid-game scenario. His gray-blue eyes darted across the board, moving from the white knight to the black rook, calculating dozens of potential moves and counter-moves in his head. The silence of the room amplified the ticking of the grand
door let out a m
focus in his eyes was startling for a fraction of a second b
opping right next to his chair. She tilted her head back to look at him, her eyebrows
armpits and hoisted her up, depositing her squa
, his voice a low, soothing h
shoulders. She released her lip and let out a heavy breat
lbows on the armrests. "Because she pushed you," he said smoothl
she started, her voice hesitant but clear. "But you made her give up the
t the four-year-old girl. A strange, quiet sense of pride bloomed in hi
f his mahogany desk and pulled out a small, foil-wrapped square. It was an import
ded on her tongue, sending a shockwave through her senses. For two crucial seconds,
ds, Hartley figure
ntblanc pens. One was a deep red, the other a dark blue.
to a soft, simple whisper, taking on the
her throat. She blinked slowly, her eyelashes fluttering
light, letting the glow catch the glossy barrel. "Willow
it smoothly between his thumb and forefinger. "But Willow wa
f Finley. "She couldn't have both. She had to choose. I told her that to
y. She didn't understand the complex mechanics of human behavior, but she felt the absolute, uns
ossing the space between them, and placed his palm flat on top of her head. His fingers tan
do anything wrong. I just told her the rules for being our frien
n dispute like a warm blanket, completely sooth
st was replaced by a burning, fanatical heat. Her eyes widened, shini
er hands gripping the armrests. "Yo
smile. He tossed the pens back onto the desk
f the chair. He held her hand
ley murmured. "Yo
under the mattress so she was pinned in place. He leaned down and pressed his lips against the cen
licked into place, the soft brotherly facade vanished. He stood in the dark corridor, his
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